Device for applying retaining members onto articles



March 10, 1959 w. F. BRAUER 2, 6,

DEVICE FOR APPLYING RETAINING MEMBERS ONTO ARTICLES Filed Nov. 6, 1953 as r as [/62 a5 5 i i 35- /2 "H" as i 30 294 42! as "M...----. 35

United States Patent DEVICE FOR APPLYING RETAINING MEMBERS ONTO ARTICLES William F. Brauer, Chicago, llh, assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 6, 1953, Serial No. 390,557 7 1 Claim. (Cl. 29-229) This invention relates to a device for applying retaining members onto articles and more particularly to a tool for applying retaining rings of the type having radially inwardly directed tabs thereon onto articles.

Among the various types of retaining rings is one having a flat annular body with a plurality of opposed radially inwardly directed tabs, the inner surfaces of which are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the cylindrical article onto Which the retaining ring is to be applied. It is necessary, therefore, to accurately align and apply a substantial pressure to the ring in order to force it onto the article. Considerable difliculty has been experienced in manually applying this type of retaining ring onto articles, especially Where the rings are of relatively small size.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for applying retaining members onto articles.

One type of device for aplying retaining members illustrating certain features of the invention may include a cylindrical tool having a central bore and a plurality of diametrical slots extending longitudinally from one end thereof to form a plurality of fingers, the ends of which are reduced to fit Within the retaining ring between the tabs thereof and which have outer cylindrical surfaces engageable with the inner periphery of the ring and also have transverse shoulders adjacent the ends thereof engageable with one face of the ring, whereby the tool with the retaining ring thereon is moved to a position with the end of the article fitting in the end of the bore of the tool and in engagement with the tabs on the retaining ring, after which movement is imparted to the tool to force the retaining ring onto the article.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, in which- Fig. l is an enlarged side elevational view of the tool with portions broken away;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the tool showing a ring supported thereon in dot and dash lines;

Fig. 3 is a face view of a retaining ring to be applied by the tool; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the tool with a retaining ring thereon shown in the process of applying the ring to the end of a cylindrical article.

Referring to the drawings, the present tool is designed to support a ring 12 of the type shown in Fig. 3 comprising a flat annulus 13 having a plurality of opposed radially inwardly directed tabs 14 extending from the inner periphery 15 thereof. The tabs 14 have rectangular ends with end surfaces 16, the opposed ones of which are spaced from each other a distance less than the diameter of the shaft, rod, or cylindrical article onto which the retaining ring 12 is to be applied. As shown in Fig. 4, the ring 12 is to be applied to the cylindrical end portion of an article 21 with the ends of the tabs 14 fitting into an annular groove 22 for the purpose of retaining a sheet metal plate 24 on the article 21 against a Patented Mar. 10, 1959 shoulder formed thereon. The plate 24 is apertured to receive the cylindrical end 20 and has a laterally ofiset portion 26 adjacent the aperture.

The tool 10 is made from a cylindrical block of metal 28 having a central bore 29 extending inwardly a predetermined distance from one end thereof and having a pair of diametrical slots 30 extending longitudinally thereof a predetermined distance from said one end to form a plurality of fingers 33 which are supported in spaced and parallel relation to each other and are capable of being flexed slightly inwardly toward each other. On the end of each of the fingers 33 is formed a ring supporting element 35 adapted to fit within the ring 12 and between the tabs 14 thereof.

The elements 35 have outer cylindrical surfaces 37 concentric with the bore 29 and adapted to engage the inner surface 15 of the retaining ring 12 and the elements 35 have flat lateral walls 39 spaced laterally from the walls of the slots 30 and spaced apart from the opposite Walls 39 of the adjacent ring supporting elements 35 a distance sufficient to provide clearance for the tabs 14- therebetween. The ring supporting elements 35 project from flat end walls 40 of the fingers a distance greater than the thickness of the retaining ring 12 to provide portions of the elements 35 which project beyond the ring 12 for and are engageable with the article 20 as shown in Fig. 4 to align the tool 10 and the ring 12 with the article 20.

The outer ends of the inner cylindrical surfaces of the elements 35 formed by the bore 29 may be beveled as at 42 to facilitate the alignment of the ring supporting elements 35 on the article 20. The flat end surfaces 40 on the fingers 33 form shoulders projecting laterally from the fiat surfaces 39 and the cylindrical surfaces 37 of the ring supporting elements, which shoulders are engageable with portions of one face of the annulus 13 and the tabs 14 of the retaining ring 12 for imparting movement thereto in response to axial movement of the member 28. At the opposite end thereof the tool 10 has a reduced handle portion 45 which may be struck by a hammer or have force otherwise applied thereto to impart movement to the tool.

When it is desired to apply a retaining ring 12 to the cylindrical article 20 to retain the plate 24 thereon, the fingers 33 of the tool are flexed radially inwardly and a retaining ring 12 is applied to the elements 35 and pressed against the shoulders 40, and upon release of the fingers 33 they expand outwardly slightly to yieldably grip and retain the ring 12 in position thereon, after which the tool is applied to the end of the article as shown in Fig. 4 with the inner surfaces of the elements 35 engaging the periphery of the article 20 and the tabs 14 engaging the end surface thereof. Force is then applied to the tool 10, causing the tabs 14 of the ring to flex sufiiciently to permit the tool 10 and the ring 12 to advance a distance sufficient to enable the ends of the tabs 14 to snap into the groove 22 to lock the ring in position, after which the tool is withdrawn.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

A tool for applying a retaining ring on a cylindrical article wherein the retaining ring is provided with a plurality of radially inwardly directed tabs having end surfaces engageable with the periphery of the article, said tool comprising a cylindrical member having a central bore slightly larger than that of said article and a plurality of radial slots extending axially a predetermined distance from one end thereof to form a plurality of parallel fingers, said fingers having reduced end portions forming ring supporting elements having outer cylindrical surfaces concentric with said bore and engageable with the inner periphery of said ring and having longitudinally extending lateral faces spaced from the lateral faces of adjacent elements to receive the tabs therebetween, said fingers being relatively rigid and oapabl of being flexed slightly radially inwardly to receive and yieldably hold the retaining ring on the elements thereof, said lateral faces and said outer cylindrical surface on the ring supporting elements being spaced from the slots between the fingers and from the outer periphery of the fingers, respectively, to provide shoulders engageable with portions of one face of the ring and the tabs thereon for imparting movement to said ring in response to movement of said-member in one direction, the ends of said elements projecting beyond a: ring seated on said elements for engagement with the end of said cylindrical article for aligning the tool and the ring relative to said article.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,397,876, Meldal Nov. 22,, 1921 1,800,459 Maclean Apr. 14, 1931 1,916,225 Kautiman et al. July 4, 1933 2,137,929 Tinnerman Nov. 22, 1938 2,177,232 Tinnerman Oct. 24, 1939 

